Electrode holder



April 29, 1947. J, E. PAULSON ELECTRDE HQLDER Filed July ll, 1945 Inventor E. Rza/60p.-

Attorneys Patented pr. 29, i947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE HOLDER ,l ames E. Paulson, Long Beach, Calif.

Application July 11, 1945, Serial No. 604,475

(Cl. 21S-S) 3 Claims. l

My invention relates to electrode holders kfor welding electrodes, and is designed as an irnprovement over the electrode holder forming the subject matter of my U. S, Letters Patent No. 2,342,966, dated February 29, 1944.

The primary object of the .instant invention is to provide a simple form of holder for welding electrodes adapted for operation hy thumb or nger pressure to clamp or release electrodes,

and which obviates rotation of parts in effecting the clamping or releasing operation, whereby installing electrodes in the holder is materially expedited and rendered easier to accomplish than with the holder of aforesaid patent.

Other and subordinate objects, also corepren hended by my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements, and the manifold advantages thereof, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specication.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a View in plan, with parts shown in longitudinal section of my improved electrode holder in a preferred embodiment thereof,

Figure 2 is a View in side elevationwith parts shown in longitudinal section,

Figure 3 is a View in transverse section taken on the .line 3-3 of Figure l,

Figure 4 is a View in plan, partly broken away, ofthe jaw-operating rod,

Figure 5 is a View in side elevation of the same,

Figure 6 is a View in transverse section. taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Reference being had to drawing by numerals, the electrodefholder of my invention, as shown, comprises a metal electrode clamping and wielding bar I which is substantially rectangular in crossnsection and formed any suitable length with an enlarged, cylindrical, socketforming, rear end portion 2 adapted to be abutted Aby a handle 3 of the same diameter as said portion 2 and which is of the type through which a current conducting cable 4 extends to frictionally lit into a socket 5 formed by said portion 2 so that the handle is aligned with said portion 2 and the cable 4 connected to said portion. A suitable sheath 6 of insulation material, preferably rubber, is tted around said portion 2 and the handle 3 and is preferably, although not necessarily, secured thereto, as by cement, not shown. A series of semi-circular notches l of different sizes, for seating different sizes of electrodes therein, are provided in one edge of said bar i adjacent to the iront end of the saine, and a pair of apertured ears extend from said edge oi said bar I in the rear of the series of notches E3 and adjacent thereto parallel with the sides of A single ear 9, similar to ears B, eX- ends from said of said bar i immediately o iront of the portion 2 and is offset from the lane of the har,

[i short bar-like clamping jaw ill, with a rear coplanar ear i! thereon fitting between the llair of ears t, is pivotally mounted on said eas Si by a pivot iii traversing said pair of ears and eer 2i, jaw' i@ being swingable on pin in the plane of said bar I into and fro-in clamping relation to the notched portion of said har i with an edge opposed to said notched edge portion.

A hollow, tubular, jaw-operating rod i2, with a bifurcated ,iront end straddling the ear Il, is pivoted to said ear by a pivot pin is extending through said bifurcated end and said ear l. The jaw-operating rod i2 extends rearwardly to terminate alongside the portion E and the pivot pin M thereof is offset laterally outwardly from the pin lo for a purpose presently clear. As will be understood, the jaw-operating rod i2 lies in a common plane with the jaw lil and the electrcde-clarnping and wielding bar i. A longitudinal slot it is provided in said operating rod I2 and which extends from the bifurcated end I3 along said rod for a suitable distance in the common plane of said jaw Mi and har i. As Will he understood, the operating rod l2 is designed to he moved endvvise in opposite directions to swing the jaw il! into and from clamping relan tion to the notched portion of the electrodeclamping and wielding bar l to clamp and release electrodes, as at IG, which are thus seated in a selected notch l of appropriate size and in complementari notches i provided in the opposed edge-of the jaw lo.

For moving the jaw-operating red i2 endwis'e, the following means is provided: An adjustable rod El, relatively shorter than said rod i2, is mounted therein with a lateral front end ear lfd projecting out of the slot is and connected by a link i9 to the beioreinentioned car 5i by a pivot pin 2Q extending through the front end of the link, and said ear i8 and a pivot 2i extending through the rear end of said link and said ear 9. The ear 9 is laterally odset from said bar l so that the link i9 will he disposed parallel with the jaw-operating rod i2. An adjusting screw rod extends into the rear end of the jaw-operating rod l2 and is threaded into the rear end of said rod I'I, said adjusting screw rod being provided with a rear end knurled head 23 adapted to abut the rear end of said rod I2. A thumb, or linger, piece 24 is provided on the rear end of the jaw-operating rod I2 to extend in upright position therefrom alongside the portion 2. The electrode-clamping and wielding bar I is covered by a sheath 25 of insulation material extending beyond the inner edge of said bar I over and below the described operating means, as shown in Figure to prevent contact with the same and the ear ii. The jaw IG is likewise covered, with the exception of the notched edge portion thereof and the ear II, with a sheath 2S of similar insulation material. rl'lie sheaths 25, 26 may be secured to said bar i and jaw I 0 in any desired manner.

As will be seen by an inspection of Figure 1, when the jaw d is in the described clamping relation, the jaw-operating rod i2 extends substantially parallel to the electrode-clamping and wielding bar i with its rear end close to the sheathing E around the portions 2, and in this position ol said rod i2, the pivotal connection 25 oi the link I9 to the rod II is offset to one side of and past a dead center position relative to the pivot pins ill and 2l so that said rod I2 is locked in a position to maintain the jaw ifi in clamping relation. This follows, since, in the clamping relation oi the jaw Ill, said rod I2 is thrust against the head 23 oi the adjusting screw rod 22 and said rod il thereby exerts a thrust against the link SS. To move the jaw I out of clamping relation and release the electrode Iii, it

is merely necessary to swing the jaw-operating n rod lf3 en the pivot pin I4 iaterally outwardly until the pivotal connection 2G of the link I5 swings outwardly past dead center relation with respect to the pivot pins I4 and 2i. In this operation, the throw of the link i9 moves said rod Il rearwardly in the jaw-operating rod I2, thereby spacing the head 23 rearwardly of the rear end of said rod I2 so that the rod I2 may move endwise rearwardly and permit the jaw l() to swing out of clamping relation. By turning the adjusting screw rod 22 into or out of the rod il, the jaw-operating rod I2 may be adjusted endwise relative to said rod I1 to vary the clamping relation of the jaw I0 relative to the notched portion of said bar l, as may be required in clamping electrodes i5 of different sizes in the notches 'I and I6.

The ringer piece 24, as will be obvious, provides for swinging the jaw-operating rod I2 in opposite directions, to cause the described jawoperating means to assume either locking or releasing position and may be conveniently operated by a iinger or thumb of a hand grasping the handle 3 of the holder.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification both as regards structure and combinations of parts, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. An electrode holder comprising handle, an electrode-clamping and wielding oar extending forwardly from said handle and having a front end notched portion, a short bar-like jaw pivotally connected to said bar for swinging into and from clamping relation to said portion and having a notched portion complementing the notched portion of said bar to seat electrodes in the notches of he same, and means to swingsaid jaw comprising a rod pivoted at one end to said jaw for lateral swinging movement on said pivot and endwise movable to swing said jaw, and means to cause said. red to more endas an incident to lateral swinging thereof comprising a. link pivotally connected at opposite ends thereof to said bar and rod, respectively, for overthrow movement oi" the pivotal connection thereof to the rod past dead center relation to the pivotal connection of the link to the bar and the pivotal connection of the rod to said jaw.

2. An electrode holder comprising a handle, an electrode-clamping and wielding bar extending forwardly from said handle and having a front end notched portion, a short bar-like jaw pivotally connected to said bar ior swinging into and from clamping relation to said portion and having a notched portion complementing the notched portion oi" said bar to seat electrodes in the notches oi the same, and means to swing said jaw comprising a rod pivoted at one end to said jaw for lateral swinging movement on said pivot and endwise movable to swing said jaw, and means to cause said rod to move endwise as an incident to lateral swinging thereof comprising a link pivotally connected at opposite ends thereof to said bar and rod, respectively, for overthrow movement of the pivotal connection thereof to the rod past dead center relation to the pivotal connection of the link to the bar and the pivotal connection of the rod to said jaw, the pivotal connection of the link to said rod being variable to vary the clamping relation of said jaw with respect to the notched portion of said bar.

3. An electrode holder comprising a handle, an electrode-clamping and wielding har extending forwardly from said handle and having a front end notched portion, a short bar-like jaw pivotally connected to said bar lor swinging into and from clamping relation to said portion and having a notched portion complementing the notched portion of said bar to seat electrodes in the notches of the same, means to swing said jaw comprising a rod pivoted at one end to said jaw for lateral swinging movement on said pivot and endwise movable to swing said jaw, and means to cause said rod to move endwise as an incident to lateral swinging thereof comprising a link pivotally connected at opposite ends thereof to said bar and rod, respectively, for overthrow movement of the pivotal connection thereof to the rod past dead center relation to the pivotal connection of the link to the bar and the pivotal connection of the rod to said jaw, and a finger piece on said rod alongside said handle for use in swinging said rod laterally.

JAMES E. PAULSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,343,242 Wakefield June 15, 1920 2,162,633 Mitler June 13, 1939 2,293,157 McGunnis Aug. 18, 1942 2,358,800 Fuller Sept. 26 1944 

